Panama cichlid

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Panama cichlid
Systematics
Order : Cichliformes
Family : Cichlids (Cichlidae)
Subfamily : Cichlinae
Tribe : Heroini
Genre : Panamius
Type : Panama cichlid
Scientific name of the  genus
Panamius
Schmitter-Soto , 2007
Scientific name of the  species
Panamius panamensis
( Meek & Hildebrand , 1913)

The Panama cichlid ( Panamius panamensis ) is a freshwater fish from the family of cichlids , which on the Pacific side of eastern Panama and the Panama Canal Zone occurs.

features

The species reaches a length of 11 (males) to 10 cm (females). The fish are gray with a rosy tinge and larger black spots on the sides of the body. In Panama they are therefore called “Peje motete” (= spotted fish). In contrast to most other Central American cichlids, the colors of the Panama cichlid do not become more intense during the breeding season. The meristic (countable) characteristics that distinguish the species from other amphilophine cichlids (related to Amphilophus ) include few anal spines (6 vs. 7 or more) and few dorsal fin spines (16 vs. 17 or more). The paired fins rarely or never reach the beginning of the anal fin. The teeth of the Panama cichlid are short, labiolingually flattened, and resemble incisors. The tips are rounded so that they do not form a line together.

Way of life

The Panama cichlid has only a short intestine and is omnivorous and eats differently depending on the season. During most of the year, animal food, including aquatic insect larvae, land insects that have fallen into the water, such as ants or mosquitoes, spiders, and water snails, make up the majority of the diet. In the dry season, which also includes the breeding season of the fish, vegetable food such as algae or seeds, but also detritus, become more important. This is probably also due to the fact that the fish then stay near the spawn or the young fish or move only a few meters a day with the school of young fish. In order to be able to break down the vegetable diet better, the intestine becomes longer in the rain-free time.

Systematics

The species was described in 1913 by the American ichthyologists Seth Eugene Meek and Samuel Frederick Hildebrand under the name Neetroplus panamensis , later also assigned to the genera Cichlasoma , Hypsophrys , Archocentrus and finally Cryptoheros . In 2007, the Mexican ichthyologist Juan Schmitter-Soto introduced the Panamius subgenus for the species. In 2016 Panamius was raised to the genus rank, with Panamius panamensis as the only species. Panamius is closely related to the other genera of Eastern Central America and the sister genus of Darienheros .

literature

Web links